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Mom Shares Shocking Pics Of Her Living With Skin Cancer To Warn Others What 'Frying Your Skin' Can Do
This mom of two is on a mission to warn people about the realities of skin cancer with a shocking photo diary documenting her battle with melanoma.
Bethany Gambardella-Greenway, 39, from Austin, Texas discovered a dark spot on her skin while she was pregnant with her youngest child in 2015. She ignored it in the belief that it was something to do with hormonal changes, and when she finally got it checked out, the dermatologist reassured her that it wasn’t a cancer symptom. Eighteen months later, however, a painful mole appeared, and a biopsy revealed that it was, in fact, an aggressive form of skin cancer called desmoplastic melanoma. Doctors removed the mole and did a skin grafting procedure, but after learning that cancer had spread to her bones and lymph nodes, she started immunotherapy in October 2016.
“The radiation was absolutely the worst part of cancer treatment. It was hell plain and simple,” she said. “It fried the inside of my mouth. My throat was so sore. My skin was covered in sores; I lost my ability to taste the food, my voice was hoarse, at about week three my hair began to fall out on the treated area. By the time I was done with treatment I had lost about forty pounds because eating had become such a miserable chore. Now I am almost completely healed from the radiation which permanently damaged one saliva gland and altered my hairline.”
Bethany said she wasn’t surprised by the diagnosis because her mother also had melanoma at the same age, and even though she’s finished her treatment and is now in the all-clear, she’s encouraging other people to wear sunscreen so they don’t have to go through the same awful experience that she did. “Please stop sunbathing and going to tanning salons,” she says sharing her pictures of the skin cancer battle. “A tan isn’t a healthy glow — it’s damaged skin.” Wise words that everybody should pay attention to.
More info: Facebook
UPDATE: One of the photographs we previously used was incorrectly labeled as depicting Bethany in hospital for the birth of her second child. This picture was actually taken when Bethany was in the hospital having her appendix removed. Also, we’d just like to clarify that Bethany has never been a tanner and was always careful in the sun. Her story serves as a cautionary reminder for everybody, regardless of whether they like to sunbathe or not.
RELATED:
This mom of two is on a mission to warn people about the realities of skin cancer
Her shocking photo diary documents her battle with melanoma
Bethany Gambardella-Greenway discovered a dark spot on her skin while pregnant with her youngest child
When she finally got it checked out, the dermatologist reassured her that it was just a liver spot
18 months later however, a painful mole appeared
A biopsy revealed that it was in fact an aggressive form of skin cancer called desmoplastic melanoma
Doctors removed the mole, but after learning that the cancer had spread, she started immunotherapy
“The radiation was absolutely the worst part. It was hell plain and simple,” she said
“My skin was covered in sores, I lost my ability to taste food, my voice was hoarse”
“At about week three my hair began to fall out on the treated area”
“It fried the inside of my mouth. My throat was so sore”
“By the time I was done with treatment I had lost about forty pounds”
Bethany has finished her treatment and is now in the all-clear
Now she’s encouraging people to wear sunscreen so they don’t have to go through the same experience
“Please stop sun bathing and going to tanning salons,” she says
“A tan isn’t a healthy glow — it’s damaged skin”
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John L 8 years ago
Word of caution. If you have light skin, are red headed, and get freckles easily, be very careful of the amount of sun exposure. Freckles are mutated skin cells, and sooner or later some of those mutations may well become malignant.
ispeak catanese 8 years ago
Black people get skin cancer from exposure to the sun. Anyone with skin, including dogs, can get melanoma.
Load More Replies...
Tiny Dynamine 8 years ago
Seriously good advice about not going to tanning salons. They increase the risk of skin cancer by 75%. Look it up.
Lyndsay B 8 years ago
It amazes me that people still go. Then again, people still smoke.
Load More Replies...
Alusair Alustriel 8 years ago
For me these photos are more striking than other cancer stories. Most often you see cancer results on peoples bodies, like hair out etc. Here I saw the actual cut, and how it damaged the face + results of theraphy. It's scary. Good I don't tan *shivers*. Best wishes for her and her family, happy she healed!!!
Cassie 8 years ago
Don't just avoid tanning. Wear a brimmed hat everywhere you go. I wore sunscreen all the time growing up (I had a prescription for it as a child before higher spf was considered safe for an over-the-counter product) but I still have basil cell carcinoma on my face. I now have scars on my nose and forehead from having it removed. Protect yourself!
Load More Replies...
Carlos Roig Giménez 8 years ago
It's that important to say "this mom of two"? Why not simply "this person..."?? If it was a guy, or a woman without children would be less important?
Leigh Drew 8 years ago
I don't think so, I think that it makes it that all the more relatable to the reader. It makes them more personable instead of a character
Load More Replies...
Colleen Hill 8 years ago
I'm so sorry that this happened to her, but hellooooo ding dong how do you not know that ginger skin is to fair to tan!?
Linda Gulley 8 years ago
The point is NO ONE should ever try to tan! Some people with fair skin can tan. No one should.
Load More Replies...
Tisha Bell 8 years ago
I used to work at a tanning salon for 4 years while in college and would see women in their mid 30s look like they were in their late 40s, one woman had skin cancer and refused to stop tanning! Boy do I have stories. And no, I didn't tan regularly- Olive skin lets you get by with the bare minimum.
Rivkaka 8 years ago
They only recently found out that it is very addictive. That's why in The Netherlands they're trying to close/regulate all tanning salons.
Load More Replies...
Heather March 8 years ago
My mother died of melanoma. It went from being a cancerous mole on her back removed to metastasizing into her brain. Not only do I wear mineral sunscreen( mineral send screens off for a physical barrier that chemicals in screens cannot), I wear hats, I use Parasol's, I wear long sleeves even in the summer. I also go for bi annual skin checks. Melanoma is extremely aggressive and this woman was one of the very lucky few that survived it. And this does not just apply to fair-skinned people; Bob Marley died of melanoma.
Virginia Hooks Golden 8 years ago
While it's true lighter skinned people are more prone to skin cancers, it affects people of all races. It's so simple: use sunscreen, limit your time in the sun, wear appropriate clothing, i.e., hats, sunglasses, long sleeves. Also, all skin cancer is NOT black, brown, misshapen, ugly. I was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in Jan 2008 and was given 50 percent chance of 5-yr survival. It was from normal, everyday sun exposure. I never tanned. The melanoma was PINK and my general practitioner thought it was a skin fungus. It gradually turned red. Two surgeries, endless CTs and MRIs, even PET scan, a month of IV immunotherapy treatment and 11 months of self-injections 3x week. Felt like a I had a nasty case of flu for a year. Blessed to say I've been cancer-free since Jan 2010. Immunotherapy was a new treatment at the time and has shown to be a wonderful treatment.
John L 8 years ago
Word of caution. If you have light skin, are red headed, and get freckles easily, be very careful of the amount of sun exposure. Freckles are mutated skin cells, and sooner or later some of those mutations may well become malignant.
ispeak catanese 8 years ago
Black people get skin cancer from exposure to the sun. Anyone with skin, including dogs, can get melanoma.
Load More Replies... Tiny Dynamine 8 years ago
Seriously good advice about not going to tanning salons. They increase the risk of skin cancer by 75%. Look it up.
Lyndsay B 8 years ago
It amazes me that people still go. Then again, people still smoke.
Load More Replies... Alusair Alustriel 8 years ago
For me these photos are more striking than other cancer stories. Most often you see cancer results on peoples bodies, like hair out etc. Here I saw the actual cut, and how it damaged the face + results of theraphy. It's scary. Good I don't tan *shivers*. Best wishes for her and her family, happy she healed!!!
Cassie 8 years ago
Don't just avoid tanning. Wear a brimmed hat everywhere you go. I wore sunscreen all the time growing up (I had a prescription for it as a child before higher spf was considered safe for an over-the-counter product) but I still have basil cell carcinoma on my face. I now have scars on my nose and forehead from having it removed. Protect yourself!
Load More Replies... Carlos Roig Giménez 8 years ago
It's that important to say "this mom of two"? Why not simply "this person..."?? If it was a guy, or a woman without children would be less important?
Leigh Drew 8 years ago
I don't think so, I think that it makes it that all the more relatable to the reader. It makes them more personable instead of a character
Load More Replies... Colleen Hill 8 years ago
I'm so sorry that this happened to her, but hellooooo ding dong how do you not know that ginger skin is to fair to tan!?
Linda Gulley 8 years ago
The point is NO ONE should ever try to tan! Some people with fair skin can tan. No one should.
Load More Replies... Tisha Bell 8 years ago
I used to work at a tanning salon for 4 years while in college and would see women in their mid 30s look like they were in their late 40s, one woman had skin cancer and refused to stop tanning! Boy do I have stories. And no, I didn't tan regularly- Olive skin lets you get by with the bare minimum.
Rivkaka 8 years ago
They only recently found out that it is very addictive. That's why in The Netherlands they're trying to close/regulate all tanning salons.
Load More Replies... Heather March 8 years ago
My mother died of melanoma. It went from being a cancerous mole on her back removed to metastasizing into her brain. Not only do I wear mineral sunscreen( mineral send screens off for a physical barrier that chemicals in screens cannot), I wear hats, I use Parasol's, I wear long sleeves even in the summer. I also go for bi annual skin checks. Melanoma is extremely aggressive and this woman was one of the very lucky few that survived it. And this does not just apply to fair-skinned people; Bob Marley died of melanoma.
Virginia Hooks Golden 8 years ago
While it's true lighter skinned people are more prone to skin cancers, it affects people of all races. It's so simple: use sunscreen, limit your time in the sun, wear appropriate clothing, i.e., hats, sunglasses, long sleeves. Also, all skin cancer is NOT black, brown, misshapen, ugly. I was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in Jan 2008 and was given 50 percent chance of 5-yr survival. It was from normal, everyday sun exposure. I never tanned. The melanoma was PINK and my general practitioner thought it was a skin fungus. It gradually turned red. Two surgeries, endless CTs and MRIs, even PET scan, a month of IV immunotherapy treatment and 11 months of self-injections 3x week. Felt like a I had a nasty case of flu for a year. Blessed to say I've been cancer-free since Jan 2010. Immunotherapy was a new treatment at the time and has shown to be a wonderful treatment.
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